Board Positions
Job descriptions for the volunteer positions within the chapter for 2008-2009. Positions can be filled by parents, veteran volunteers or set up as internships that come with letters of support and provide the experience of working in a small business. They are highly recommendable for college students majoring in accounting, business, or public relations.
* President: Cindy Cavanaugh
The president is ultimately responsible for all activities of the chapter.
- Serves as a liaison between the Chapter and the International Office (IO)
- Oversees all activities of the training, fundraising/financial, and administrative teams of the chapter
- Tracks master calendar and assures chapter responsibilities are fulfilled in a timely manner
- Sets agenda for and facilitates board meetings
- Oversees volunteer & parent relations
- Fills out IO-required paperwork for the chapter
- Makes final decision on disciplinary actions towards volunteers
- Acts as an official voice for the chapter in public matters
- Responsible for maintaining and archiving chapter documents such as bylaws, incorporation papers, financial information
Time Commitment: Approx. 8-10 hrs per month, including monthly board meetings and a trip to Houston in the spring for the Mid-year Annual Meeting for chapter presidents. The president may put in more hours taking on special projects, improving the Amigos program, helping at orientation meetings, interviewing volunteers, and if other volunteer positions are not functioning properly.
* Vice President/Parent Coordinator: Mary Riley
The vice president/parent coordinator is responsible for all chapter meetings and addressing concerns of parents as well as assists the president with all chapter activities.
- Assists the president as needed
- Fills in for the president in president’s absence
- Updates and maintains the chapter database
- Liaison between chapter board, training director and volunteer parents
- Coordinates parent meetings and information with training director
- Responsible for setting chapter meeting agendas, arranges speakers/presenters, and chairs the meetings with the training director
- Establishes a parent communications network
- Identifies parents to assist with chapter meeting activities
- Tracks and helps deal with problems families are having
- Coordinates information from the field for parents during the summer
- Recruits parents to organize the “empty nest celebration” in July
Time Commitment: Approx. 8-10 hrs per month, including monthly board and chapter meetings. The vice president may put in more hours taking on special projects, improving the Amigos program, helping at orientation meetings, interviewing volunteers, and if other volunteer positions are not functioning properly.
* Co-Treasurer (income portion): Elizabeth Danielson
The co-treasurer (income) is responsible for collecting the volunteers’ fees and donations, account for each entry onto an excel spreadsheet, and deposit the money into the bank. The spreadsheets are e-mailed to the board members for board meetings.
- Collects and deposit chapter income
- Teaches volunteers how to fill out forms and hand in checks
- Tracks volunteer fundraising progress through income spreadsheets
- Provides information to volunteers & parents on individuals’ fundraising progress
- Provides deposit information to the other co-treasurer for preparation of the chapter financial statements
- Reports to the Board on volunteer fundraising status
- Connect with fundraising coordinator, making sure that volunteers have paid for product that they have picked up and that they have received product that they have paid for
- Attends orientation presentations, as needed (October)
- Communicate with parent/volunteer concerning questions on income spreadsheets
Time Commitment: Approximately 9 hrs per month for the months of Oct through Jan and May & June of the next year. Approximately 30 hrs per month for the months of Feb through April. Attending the monthly board and chapter meetings is included in these monthly averages.
* Co-Treasurer (expense portion): OPEN
The co-treasurer (expenses) is responsible for the overall finances of the chapter including:
- Prepares chapter budget and individual volunteer budget annually
- Prepares monthly financial reports to the chapter board
- Receives invoices and receipts for expenses, prepare checks
- Oversees the 990 tax return preparation annually
- Maintains bank accounts
- Maintains financial relations to the International Office (IO)
- Prepares annual budget and financial statements for IO
- Attends orientation presentations, as needed (October)
Time Commitment: Approximately 4-5 hr per month, which includes the monthly board meetings. Extra time is required in the fall for participating in orientation presentations, annual budget and tax return preparation.
* Fundraising Coordinator: Lakshmi Aradhya
The fundraising coordinator is responsible for coordinating all fundraising efforts:
- Develops relationships with vendors, orders all products for sale, tracks receipt of products and payments made to vendors
- Makes sure all volunteers receive shipments of coffee or other fundraising products
- Makes sure all volunteers are on track for selling their products. Organizes pick up of products for all volunteers
- Trains and oversees the letterwriting campaign coordinator
- Makes sure all volunteers fulfill their obligation to mail a certain number of letters
- Connect with fundraising coordinator, making sure that volunteers have paid for product that they have picked up and that they have received product that they have paid for
Time Commitment: Approximately ___ per month, which includes attending the monthly chapter and board meetings.
* Training Director: Todd Simmons
The training director is responsible for coordinating all training activities of the volunteers:
- Develops and plans training curriculum
- Prepares volunteers for their summer experience
- Contact to local High Schools
- Trains veteran volunteers for class presentations
- Organizes parent orientations
- Conducts interviews
Time Commitment: The time commitment involves planning and attending all recruiting, orientation, and training events, chapter meetings, and attending Board meetings; recruiting presentations are made during the school days.
* Paperwork Coordinator: David Artale
The paperwork coordinator is responsible for collecting, copying, checking for completeness and accuracy, and mailing all documents and forms due to the International Office (IO) within the established time frames.
- Guides volunteers through paperwork & online application process
- Hands out or assists in online processing of volunteer data information (applications, deadline calendars, medical updates, visas, passport copies, assignment preference forms) for the chapter and IO
- Collects all volunteer data information
- Serves as liaison with IO regarding volunteer data information
- Makes sure all volunteers turn in what is due on time
- Follows up with volunteers and parents regarding tardy paperwork
- Annually updates, distributes and gets returned family-signed chapter agreements
- Attends most monthly Chapter meetings, especially in fall through January, and March/April
- Attends monthly Board meetings
Time Commitment: Usually 5 hours per month, which includes the monthly chapter and board meetings. In October, about 8 hours, January, about 10 hours, in April, about 8 hours.
* Secretary: OPEN
The secretary is responsible for taking and distributing the minutes of the chapter board.
- Takes minutes at Board meetings
- Provides board members with minutes from meetings
- Assists at Chapter meetings as needed
Time Commitment: Attending the board meetings, taking minutes and distributing copies via email to board members. Helping out on special projects, attending orientations, and/or chapter meetings, as needed.
* Veteran Representative: Tessa Artale
The veteran representative is responsible for representing concerns of volunteers at the Chapter Board meetings. This person is an Amigos volunteer who has recently completed an in-country experience in Latin America.
- Attends all board meetings and speaks on behalf of volunteers in training
- Present board issues to volunteers as necessary
Time Commitment: Attending board meetings and participate as a trainer of the current volunteers. Helping out on special projects, attending orientations, and/or chapter meetings, as needed.
Medical Director: Dr. Mark Henderson
The medical director is responsible for all medical issues of the chapter:
- Reviews health forms and immunization status for all volunteers and advises the chapter board on volunteers’ fitness for field assignment and alerts the International Office about any concerns and/or changes in volunteers’ physical and/or emotional health
- Informs volunteers and parents about medical needs relating to travel in Latin America.
- Works with Training Director on health education training
- Answer medical questions from parents and volunteers
- Advise Board about medical issues
Time Commitment: Plan and participate in the health and safety retreat usually in March and the chapter meeting on health and safety usually in April. Also be available for reviewing health forms and answering questions about immunizations and health issues on an as needed basis.
Travel Coordinator: Jenifer Newell
The travel coordinator is responsible for all volunteer travel concerns:
- Researches and coordinates domestic portion of volunteer travel, through the International Office or independently
- Confirms purchase of domestic flights, in conjunction with chapter president
- Provide information, travel arrangements and tickets to volunteers and parents
- Provide reminders and logistics support for departures and arrivals
Time Commitment: The time it takes to set up a system to help organize volunteers travel arrangements. This position is short-term and needed from the end of March through the summer.
Emergency Contact: Dr. Mark Henderson
The chapter emergency contact is the chapter’s liaison with the on-call system through the International Office (IO) during the summer:
- Be the contact person with the IO for any in-country issues with volunteers in country.
- Be the liaison with parents regarding in-country issues with their volunteer
- Serves as contact person for chapter during travel times and instances when chapter volunteers are returning home early.
Time Commitment: Be available at all times throughout the summer or have a backup person to fill in, when not available
Letterwriting Campaign Coordinator: OPEN
The letterwriting coordinator is responsible for all aspects of the letterwriting campaign, which usually occurs, in late January or early February.
- Provides information to volunteers regarding letter writing campaign in January
- Collects letters from volunteers and keeps track of whose letters are still due
Time Commitment: Attend Jan and Feb chapter meetings and occasional board meetings in order to keep letter writing campaign organized and running smoothly. Other time required to count letters and mail them, and to contact volunteers who have yet to turn in letters. Helping out on special projects, attending orientations, and/or chapter meetings, as needed.
Webmaster: OPEN
The webmaster is responsible for updating and maintaining the web site.
Time Commitment: flexible
Publicity Coordinator: OPEN
The publicity coordinator is responsible for internal and external publicity needs of the chapter:
- Arranges media coverage for fundraising activities and volunteer work in Latin America
- Sends out press releases and follows up with phone calls to local media
- Produce email newsletter, in consultation with president and training director
Time Commitment: flexible
Grantwriting Coordinator: OPEN
Job description to be developed
Time Commitment: flexible